Means for promoting vegetation.



. l. ANSON.

MEANS FOR PROMOTING VEGETATION.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.23| 1911.

Patented July 11, 1916.

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Inventor Attorneys w Nomzrs persas ca., nuoro-urna. wAsHmnruN u c WARRENJ. ANSON, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

MEANS FOR PROMOTING VEGETATION.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented JI uly i il, T91 @i Application filed'Deceinber 23, 1911.Serial No. @167,535`

To all 107mm t may concern:

Be it known that I, Tannen J. Anson, a citizen of the United States,residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia, have invented a. new and useful Means for PromotingVegetation, of which the .following is a specilication.

The present invention relates to improvements in means for promotingvegetation, the primary object of the invention being the provision of anovel construction of porous foraminous moisture conserving andconducting medium for burial below the surface a sutlicient depth to becooler than the atmosphere above the surface thereby producing acondensation of the moisture from the air within the medium to bedelivered through the porous cells to the roots of the plants, suchporous cells also conveying suflicient air to the roots to aerate theroots and assist in the vegetation; such medium being further providedwith bare electrical crniductors for assisting the aerating andinoistening effect.

lilith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the con bination andarrangement of parts and in t the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope ofwhat is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

ln the drawings- Figure l is a diagrammatic view demonstrating theapparatus and its installation. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section throughthe adjacent ends of two sections of hollow cylindrical conduits. Fig. 3is a section taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. e is an end view of oneof said sections. Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are cross sections of three differentshapes of conduits employed in carrying out this invention.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the loose soil, the same havingbeen removed to permit the sinking or proper positioning of the sectionsT of the porous foraminous conduits, which as shown in Figs. 2, 3 andll, are made cylindrical in cross section, while in Fig. 5 they are maderectangular, resting upon the diagonal corners; in Fig. 6 triangular incross section; and in Fig. 7 square in cross section resting upon a flatbase. These porous conduits are made of any desired material such 'ashard baked clay or cement, and have embedded therein or properly securedthereto any desired form of bare or insulated electrical conductors suchas l, said conductors being made of copper, well burned charcoal,graphite or in fact any carbonaceous material or metal that is a goodconductor of electricity.

Asshown in Figs. l, 2, 8 and 4f the respective conduits are made insections, and each section at its end is provided with the cessedportions 3 foi` the reception of the conducting ring l of any of thedesired mentioned metals or carbon, the same being covered with thecollar or ring 2 therearound and to provide a fastening means betweenthe ends of the adjacent sections and also a cover for the conductingring 4 which forms a. conducting medium between the adjacent ends of theconductors l of the sections.

In installing theelectrical apparatus for agricultural purposes, thesoil is lirst given theproper tilling and thoroughly loosened to a depthof approximately twelve inches, a system of ditches being then made inwhich the respective conduits T are placed. The conduits are covered toa uniform depth of soil approximately twelve inches with the elbows Eprojecting to receive the terminal conduits T which are open to the airand extend above the soil as indicated in Fig. l.

In order to supply the electricity to the conductors l and 3 of therespective sections, the conductor wires C are connected at therespective ends of the sections T and receive their current from theelectrical source S, which may be batteries of any form of generatordesired, the saine simply being shown in diagram to illustrate theoperation of the present method and apparatus.

The conduits are placed in the ground so that the respective terminals Twill be above the ground tilled, and the seeds are then planted and thesoil kept agitated or stirred until the said seeds begin to grow. Thesaid sections T may be connected with aerial wires to secure from theatmosphere the atmospheric electricity to affect the atmosphere withinthe porous section. lt has been found in practice that sections beinglaid the proper depth below the surface will thereby be cooler and causethe atmosphere which enters through the respective open ends thereof tohave the temperature thereof lowered to such an extent as to cause acondensation of the moisture in the air, such lou another. j be laid atany angular position, Whereas the angular conduit sections can be laidin any condensation clinging to u the porous walls of the sections to beconducted through the cells thereof into the soil surrounding the Isections and iinally to theroots of the growing plants. Suflicient airis also caused to pass through such cells tothe roots toassist inaerating, this 'action having the same effect upon the plant life as theloosening of the soil during cultivation. rlhus the air which enters theconduits in a heated condition dueto the high temperature above thesurface and carrying a certain amount vof moisture will be cooled sothat the moisture therein will condense and thus assist in supplyingmoisture to the roots of the plants.

It has been found in practice that the use of the conductors and theelectrical current either supplied from a storage battery or othergenerator, has a beneficial effect upon the plant Vlife and in climatesWhen such irrigation has been found necessary, it has been demonstratedwith' the present apparatus that sufiicient moisture is supplied to theplants under the surface as to render irrigationY unnecessary.

The conduit being constructed of tile sections, will cause theconductors to be insulated from the soil or surrounding` media by thetile sections ofthe conduit, in order that the full benefit of thecurrent traversing the conductorsl will be had. It is also to be notedthat the ends of the conductors vl being connected to the contact ringsor plates et embedded in the ends of the conduit sections, and said irings or plates bearing against one another, will electrically connectthe conductors 1 of the respective conduit sections, at any angularpositions of said' sections relative to one another about their axes, sothat no special attention is necessary for laying thel conduit sectionsat any particular angular position relative to one The circular conduitsections may one of a number of angular positions.

VWhen the air above the surface of the soll Vis hot, While the airWithin the conduit is cool, the soil adjacent the conduit will remaincool, .and this will tend to retain the moisture in the soil. NOW,supposing that the airabove the soil is cool, While the air Within theconduit is heated by the electrical current, the hot air Will naturallyflow upwardlyl out of the branches or risers ofthe conduit, While thecool air will flow downwardly into the conduit to be heated. Fur- Copesof this patent may be obtained for thermore, during rainy weather, whenthe soil is saturated with moisture, the moisture will naturally seepinto the conduit, due to the fact that the conduit is porous, and theconduit Will hold the Water until the soil becomes dry due to a drought,in which event, the current when traversing the conductor Will tend toevaporate the Water. rlhe Water will thus not only seep back into thesoil, but will also How by evaporation through the branches or risers tosupply vapor to the plants. The roots are thus not only supplied Withmoisture, but the leaves andbrauches are also supplied therewith, theelectrical current in passing through the conductor Within the conduitwill naturally charge the adjacent soil, it being recognized that theelectriiication or charging of the soil promotes vegetation, most likelydue to the fact that the electrically charged soil stimulates the rootgrowth of the plants, and also retains the moisture better than ordinarysoil.

lt is also ivell known that when an electric current traverses aconductor, the surrounding media is charged b v induction, and ivith theVpresent device, the soil surrounding and adjacent the conduit willnaturally be charged, as well as the air Within the conduit.

What is claimed is:

An appliance for promoting vegetation embodying a porous conduit adaptedto be embedded in the soil and haif'ing upstanding branches to projectabove the surface of the soil, said conduit comprising abutting tilesections, each individual tile section being adapted to be laid invarious angular positions about its axis, a plurality of electricalconductors embedded in the walls of each section and extendinglongitudinally thereof from end to end, and contact plates embeddedWithin the ends of the sections, said conductors being connected withsaid plates, and said plates heilig adapted to bear against one. anotherat various angular positions of the sections relative to one another, toconnect said conductors for the passage of an electrical current.

ln testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of tvvo Witnesses.

WARREN J. ANSON.

Witnesses ARTHUR Vinioirr, F. W. VVAGrrrER.

ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington,I). C.

